A
SP EC I AL
SECT I O N
SUP PLEMEN T
OF
TH E
H ER A LD
good health
C OMMUNIT Y
N E W S PA P E R S
#NEQJQN #YCTGPGUU
6GGPU #PFUnderage #NEQJQN drinking &QP V /KZ is a big deal
9
hile moderate drinking, such a glass of wine with dinner may have some health benefits, drinking too much alcohol can have devastating consequences. About 14 million Americans are addicted to alcohol or abuse alcohol. Now, during Alcohol Awareness Month, is the time to reflect on your use of alcohol – and of those around you. Do you know how much alcohol is in a standard drink? Are you binge drinking? Are you concerned your child may be drinking? The likelihood is that many of the people who drank when you were in high school have been negatively impacted. Some will have health problems that didn’t need to be. Some will have lost jobs or had relationships end. Others had career choices limited due to arrests for alcohol-related behaviors. Given all we know now, it’s pretty easy
to say that many people are lucky to have escaped serious consequences for drinking. Your teen may say what’s the big deal? If this question is asked, don’t laugh it off. Treat it seriously. Just because you or someone you know survived doesn’t mean your children will. Consider these facts: Alcohol is the #1 drug for children and teens, and teens are drinking. One in every four 12th graders (25.9 percent), almost one in every five 10th graders (18.4 percent) and nearly one in every ten 8th graders (9 percent) reported binge drinking (consumed five or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks) risking alcohol poisoning, traffic crashes, school failure, and alcoholism (according to a 2008 Healthy Youth Survey). Alcohol has a greater impact on the developing teen brain. Alcohol impairs the areas that control
motor coordination, impulse control, memory, and judgment. Kids who drink are at greater risk for school failure and dropping out (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Drinking is a fatal attraction for teens. Beer and other alcoholic drinks are implicated in the three top causes of teen deaths: accidents (including traffic fatalities and drowning), homicide, and suicide. Alcohol kills more kids than all other drugs combined (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Teen drinking increases the risk of STDs and pregnancy. Teens who drink are seven times more likely to engage in sex and twice as likely to have sex with four or more partners than those who do not. Such behavior can result in an increased risk of AIDS, other sexually trans-
mitted diseases, and pregnancy (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse). Underage drinking can lead to addiction. Kids who drink before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol problems as adults. (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Providing alcohol at home does not keep teens safe. Teens can overdose on alcohol just as easily at home and, along with their parents, can be liable for property damage, assault, injuries, and deaths that result from underage drinking at their home. The good news is that parents are the #1 influence on their kids. The key reason kids give for not drinking is that they don’t want to disappoint their parents.
****
Nurses Choose Mercy. Nursing Experts Choose Mercy, Too. At Mercy Medical Center, we value superior nursing care and it shows—in the faces of our patients, through the deep appreciation of our doctors, and now, by receiving a Pathway to Excellence® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Mercy is the only hospital in the region and one of only three in NY State to receive this prestigious award. And recently, Mercy was ranked among the top 20 percent of hospitals in NY State by U.S. News & World Report, scoring high in patient safety. We’re proud to provide an environment where nurses can do their finest, most caring work, but most of all we’re proud of our exceptional nurses. That’s why they choose Mercy. Shouldn’t you choose Mercy, too?
516-62MERCY 1000 North Village Avenue X Rockville Centre, NY 11571 www.MercyMedicalCenter.info Grace Grisafi, RN, Labor & Delivery
To learn more about the great things that Mercy doctors are doing, go to: MercyMedicalCenter.info/MeetTheDoctors
<($56 622233
Devon Skinner, RN, Quality Management